A Two-Day Wedding at The Yard in Beacon, NY | An Intimate Ceremony, Community Feast & Joyful Celebration
The Yard wedding celebrations have a way of feeling unlike any other wedding venue in the Hudson Valley. Creative, community-centered, and deeply personal, it's the perfect setting for couples who want their wedding to feel like a true reflection of who they are. Lily and Lukas embraced that wholeheartedly, choosing to spread their celebration across an entire weekend rather than trying to fit every meaningful moment into a single day. They began with an intimate Friday ceremony surrounded by their closest loved ones, followed by a quiet dinner lovingly prepared by friends. On Saturday, they welcomed a larger community for an unforgettable celebration filled with live music, poetry, incredible food, and a vinyl DJ dance party. Their thoughtful wedding weekend is beautiful inspiration for couples planning a Hudson Valley wedding, and considering an intimate ceremony followed by a larger celebration. Their thoughtful wedding weekend is beautiful inspiration for couples dreaming of a wedding that feels intentional, deeply personal, and unmistakably their own.
As a Hudson Valley wedding photographer, weekends like this remind me that there is no "right" way to celebrate a marriage. The most memorable weddings are the ones that reflect the people at the center of them. Every decision Lily and Lukas made felt deeply intentional, creating space not only for celebration, but for reflection, connection, and community.
Vendors
Venue : The Yard in Beacon, NY
Wedding Planner : RAE Planning (Taylor Anderson)
Wedding Dress Designer : Anthropologie
Groom’s Custom Suit : Sal Lauretta for Men - Midland Park, NJ
Ceremony Officiant : Father Vincent A. Pizzuto
Flowers : Hidden Acre Farm - Bloomingburg, NY
Reception Bridal Jumpsuit : Loulette Bride - Brooklyn, NY
Cocktail + Reception Catering : La Mila
Jazz Trio : Quiet Fire
Vinyl DJ : Mark Sljukic
Photographer : Caitlinn Mahar-Daniels
A Love Story That Began Outside a Therapy Appointment
Lily and Lukas first crossed paths in graduate school at the University of New Hampshire.
Lily was pursuing her MFA in Poetry, while Lukas was earning his Master's in Soil Science. Although they kept seeing one another around campus, the moment that changed everything happened somewhere entirely unexpected.
"We eventually met at our university's counseling center - Lukas was coming out of therapy, Lily was going into therapy and at the front door Lily asked Lukas out and the rest is history."
This beginning to their relationship makes SO much sense when you spend time observing them. Lily is strong, confident, open, and brave. Looking back after photographing their wedding weekend, it somehow feels perfectly fitting.
How you got engaged
“We had a bit of an untraditional engagement. We decided we would each propose to one another whenever the time felt right. Lily proposed to Lukas on the ferris wheel in the Tuileries Garden in Paris during a trip to Europe in November of 2022. Lukas proposed to Lily in spring of 2023 at Blue Hill Farm in Westchester on a hike following a delicious meal!”
Wedding Weekend Looks
“Lukas suit was custom made by Sal Lauretta (small family owned suit shop on NJ). It was a blast getting to design and make decisions about what I wanted to look like on this day. Would work with them again in a heartbeat. It is an embodying feeling being in clothing you helped to design and that fits so well. Now I have a suit with a ticket pocket!
Lily had a dress from Anthropologie for the ceremony and a custom jumpsuit made by Loulette in Brooklyn for the party. Both had lots of lace so there was a through line but different vibes for each day.”
Choosing a Wedding Weekend Instead of a Wedding Day
One of my favorite parts of photographing weddings at The Yard was seeing how thoughtfully they approached every decision.
Instead of trying to squeeze every emotion into one long day, they intentionally divided the weekend into two distinct experiences.
Friday would be quiet.
Saturday would be joyful.
As they shared:
"We both believe that our community of people from our respective and collective history are there to support us through our marriage and we wanted to celebrate with that most intimate community so they could bear witness to our union. We also felt like it was important to spread out the events of the wedding so we had time to really sit with the ceremony and feelings from it before boogie-ing down at a party."
I absolutely loved this approach.
By giving themselves permission to slow down, they created room to fully experience each chapter instead of rushing from one event to the next.
Friday: A Ceremony That Felt Meditative, Intimate and Holy
When I asked how they wanted their ceremony to feel, their answer couldn't have been more beautiful.
"The three words we kept focusing on for the ceremony in a vibes sense were meditative, intimate and holy."
Everything reflected those intentions.
Lily wore an lace wedding gown that perfectly complemented the simplicity of the ceremony. Their uncle officiated, offering wisdom they'll carry long after the wedding day.
One phrase especially stayed with them:
"Be more married every day."
Rather than beginning the ceremony alone, they invited both of their families to stand beside them.
"We started the ceremony with our families flanking us up front because it isn't just a union of us as a couple but our now shared history."
Each family also brought a meaningful object to the altar - a tangible reminder that marriage isn't only about two people, but about generations, stories, and shared history coming together.
It was deeply moving to witness.
Community Was the Heart of the Celebration
Perhaps my favorite thread woven throughout the weekend was how many people helped bring it to life.
Instead of outsourcing every detail, Lily and Lukas invited the people they loved to contribute their talents.
Friends prepared an incredible spaghetti and meatball dinner after the ceremony.
Another friend handcrafted the ceremony arch.
Others arranged seasonal flowers from Hidden Acre Farm.
Their favorite Italian restaurant supplied fresh focaccia and tiramisu.
As they put it:
"We really tapped our community for their talents and seeing it all come together was great."
The meal itself became an extension of the ceremony - a quiet evening spent gathered around a table with the people who know them best. I was enthralled observing and photographing their friends and family working together in the kitchen with peace and intention.
“We love good food and bringing people together to gather around a meal. We put a lot of thought into the post ceremony meal. Our friends made a salad, spaghetti/ meatball dinner and we brought in tiramisu/ focaccia from our favorite Italian spot where we live!”
Saturday: A Celebration Filled with Music, Poetry and Joy
The next day felt entirely different - in the very best way.
Lily changed into a custom lace jumpsuit by Loulette in Brooklyn, creating a fresh look while maintaining the beautiful thread of lace between both days.
Guests arrived dressed in bright colors, bold patterns, and playful outfits that reflected the party atmosphere.
Lukas' brother performed with his jazz trio, Quiet Fire. Lily's father joined them half way through their set and played guitar.
Guests wandered through an installation featuring eight meaningful poems that had shaped their relationship.
"Lukas has been indoctrinated into the world of poetry and we have some poems that have meant a lot to us so we set up a display incorporating 8 poems that our guests could walk through and gather around during the cocktail hour/party!
We both love music and seeing live music so we made it a priority to lean into that where possible. It also means a lot to us to highlight talented friends and family so we had Lukas’ brother play with his Jazz trio Quiet Fire during cocktail hour. Lily’s dad also played guitar on a couple songs during cocktail hour. We also had our friend Mark do a vinyl DJ set to kick off the dancing.”
When Rain Became Part of the Story
Just before cocktail hour, a brief rain shower rolled through.
Instead of interrupting the celebration, it became one of everyone's favorite memories.
"It made for some awesome photographs but it also had the effect of gathering everyone under the tent around the cocktail hour music in a really intimate way."
Watching everyone naturally gather closer together while jazz played in the background created exactly the kind of atmosphere they had hoped for.
Why They Chose The Yard
It's impossible to write about this wedding without talking about why they chose The Yard in Beacon.
As Lily and Lukas explained,
"We just think The Yard is an amazing organization... They do community arts events, support young musicians and host Beacon's Backyard, which is focused around feeding community. It was important to us to give money to a venue that we felt was doing good work."
“We ended up looking at different venues as we were planning but kept coming back to The Yard. There were all sorts of configurations for how and where we could do the ceremony/party and they met us with a ton of creativity and willingness during the planning process. They were incredibly lovely people to work with and set the vibey-ist atmosphere for the day of the wedding.”
For couples dreaming of a creative, community-centered wedding in the Hudson Valley, The Yard wedding experience offers something truly unique.
Any wedding planning/vendor decisions you hope to share
“Cocktail Music- The Quiet Fire trio awesome guitar, drum, bass trip that can do funk or jazz. They were great guys to work with and put on a great show.
Planner- Taylor Anderson at RAE Planning was amazing! She took a ton of time working with us ahead of time to make sure the aesthetics and vibe were what we wanted. She was also amazing at managing vendors and relations between us as clients with our vendors which took so much work off of our plate. Total wizard!
Venue- Can’t say enough good things about The Yard. Loved everyone there!”
How did you find me as a wedding photographer? Why did you choose to work with me?
“The Yard recommended you to us, and you were great! It was important to us to find a photographer who would be able to capture intimate moments that weren’t staged. Candid photos for an event like this are so important! We wanted someone who would be around capturing moments but not disruptive to the day. You made us both feel comfortable while taking portraits and really helped capture the best of us and our guests. From a craft side of things the photos turned out amazing! The coloring on the photos is beautiful and helped enhance the vibes we were hoping to highlight. Logistically you were super easy to work with and your team was great. You were quick with the proofs, super communicative, and a total joy to work with.”
Advice From Lily + Lukas
“Give yourself at least a year and a half if you can! Taking our time with the whole process made it spacious, extra creative, and not too stressful.
Find a good planner! We set out thinking we could do it all ourselves and while we probably could have, it would have been way more stressful. Taylor (RAE Planning) was a great mediator for us and our vendors and took so much off our plate.
Find ways/times to plan that aren’t in such a strict organized meeting. Some of our best planning and thinking was done while hiking and just spending quality time together.
If you are getting married, chances are you have been to a couple weddings as a couple. Talk about what you liked from other peoples weddings you have attended (vibes, food, venues, ceremonial aspects) as a place to start forming your own ideas for what you want.”
A Dance Floor Powered by Vinyl Records
One detail I'll never forget was the vinyl DJ set. Instead of a traditional playlist, their friend Mark spun records to begin the evening's dancing.
It felt personal, unexpected, and joyfully nostalgic.
It reflected exactly who Lily and Lukas are. A couple who appreciates craftsmanship, creativity, and experiences that feel authentic rather than performative.
A Wedding Weekend I'll Never Forget
Photographing Lily and Lukas reminded me that weddings don't have to follow tradition to feel meaningful, and come from deep within the hearts of the people getting married.
Where friends cook dinner.
Families stand shoulder to shoulder at the altar.
Jazz fills the air before a vinyl record starts spinning.
Where there is time to sit with the sacred before stepping onto the dance floor.
If you're planning your own Hudson Valley wedding - whether it's an intimate ceremony, a multi-day wedding weekend, or a celebration that reflects your own unique story - I would love to help preserve it with photographs that feel honest, timeless, and deeply human.
If my work resonates with you, I'd love to hear more about what you're planning. Get in touch, and let's begin telling your story together.
